Radio frequency driven plasma jets are compact plasma sources which are used in many advanced fields such as surface engineering or biomedicine. The MMWICP (miniature micro wave ICP) is a particular variant of that device class. Unlike other plasma jets which employ capacitive coupling, the MMWICP uses the induction principle. The jet is integrated into a miniature cavity structure which realizes an LC-resonator with a high quality factor. When excited at its resonance frequency, the resonator develops a high internal current which—transferred to the plasma via induction—provides an efficient source of RF power. This work presents a theoretical model of the MMWICP. The possible operation points of the device are analyzed. Two different regimes can be identified, the capacitive E-mode with a plasma density of ne ≈ 5 × 1017 m−3, and the inductive H-mode with densities of ne ⩾ 1019 m−3. The E to H transition shows a pronounced hysteresis behavior.